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NFT: Pete Hamill, RIP...

x meadowlander : 8/5/2020 2:14 pm
Back when I worked in NYC, I'd read Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill religiously - to me, they were the absolute heartbeat of the city through the 80's. Breslin was the brute, the raw emotion of Manhattan, Hamill was cerebral - both men were awesome writers, but Pete was a true artist.

Sad to see him go.


Pete Hamill has died at 85 - ( New Window )
yeah, was just reading his obit online elsewhere -  
Del Shofner : 8/5/2020 2:33 pm : link
RIP, a true Brooklyn guy and a real New York City character. Embodied what made the tabloids good (to the extent they were ever good), but was more than that.
RIP  
JohnG in Albany : 8/5/2020 2:50 pm : link
Great writer.
Amazing writer.  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 8/5/2020 2:59 pm : link
RIP.
I believe he was the gentleman featured....  
BillKo : 8/5/2020 3:40 pm : link
..along with Breslin on an HBO documentary of both men.

Enjoyed that.........RIP
Snow in August  
fuzzy : 8/5/2020 5:08 pm : link
Terrific book.. The Brooklyn Jewishness of it is a window into that world and time.
RIP Pete - amusing remotely related story  
weeg in the bronx : 8/5/2020 9:30 pm : link
Was given a first class ride to Cleveland for a job interview in the 90s. Small plane, first row, window seat on way home. I get on and Tim McCarver is in the aisle. I excuse myself and he blows me off (understandable) and then I excuse myself again pointing out I have the window seat. I am a big fan but out of respect say nothing and open A Drinking Life by Hamill. We fly without conversation and when we land, McCarver turns to me and asks what I think of the book, he loved it, loves Hamill etc. He breaks the ice over Hamill!

And Pete wrote the intro for a book my brother wrote!

He also got thrown out of my sons high school.

God bless a fine NY Irishman (is there any better kind?) and a great writer.
Weeg  
larryinnewhaven : 8/5/2020 10:52 pm : link
Great story!!
An  
AcidTest : 8/5/2020 11:06 pm : link
incredible writer. RIP. God bless. Prayers to his family and friends.
Maybe this is a stretch ..... but,  
short lease : 8/6/2020 7:05 am : link

before there was sports talk radio teams (Mike and the Mad dog) Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill were the original "Voices of NY" - for lack of a better title? For years I used to love reading their columns.

I have not yet got a chance to watch (or even heard of) the HBO Doc about both those writers but, as soon as it becomes available to me - I will watch it.

I have been a Howard Stern fan for decades and during the time Artie (Lange) was on the show - he mentioned Pete Hamill as a writer and specifically the book "A Drinking Life".

Such a great read - about his personal life and the disease of addiction.

RIP Mr Hamill and thank-you ..... for always telling the truth.
After I finish the book I'm currently reading...  
richynyc : 8/6/2020 10:07 am : link
...I'm going to read one of his. Either Forever or Downtown or Snow in August. Any recommendations out there?
Rich  
Frank in Silver Spring : 8/6/2020 1:07 pm : link
I read Snow in August some years ago and found it well worth my time. I suspect you will too.
Thanks Frank  
richynyc : 8/6/2020 7:44 pm : link
I'll be picking up my copy at the Strand tomorrow, since I live about a 10 minute walk from there on W 12th Street.
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